Page 31 of A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke
“Not today, Mother,” she cut in, her smile growing. She would not let her mood be ruined today. It turned out that Victoria had only wanted to tease, for she chuckled at Eleanor’s calm reprimand, causing everyone else to do the same.
“We are glad you decided to join us today, Eleanor.” It was Isabelle whose hair was flowing in a fiery flame behind her. Eleanor suddenly wished she had been bold enough to drop her bonnet. Then, it was no secret that only Isabelle got away with things like this.
“As glad as I am. I feel so much better, and I thought it would be a great thing to join my sister in preparations for her wedding.” She looked at Agnes who had a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She wondered if she had said something wrong, but the thoughts got squashed when Agnes suddenly winked at her, and said, “Now, you get to partake in the suffering that Mother has been making us go through.”
“Oh hush! Do not spill such nonsense from your lips. When you arrive at your wedding and behold its wonder, it will be nothing but gratitude that you will feel towards me, and do not think I will not make you bite your words. Now, come on, Eleanor, go on in. Time is no friend of ours, and we have a lot of shopping to do today.”
Obeying her mother’s voice, she offered her hand to Edward so that he could help her onto the carriage. As she sat, Rachel handed her parasol over to her, and she adjusted the moment it was in her hands. She was followed by Isabelle, then Agnes, and finally, her mother. As soon as the servants they were taking along with them filled the other carriage, her mother knocked against theirs three times, and they began to move.
As the horses rolled the wheels of the carriage and took them further to their destination, they settled into comfortable silence with only one or two remarks every now and then. She wondered which market they would go to for their shopping but decided to keep quiet. She would find out soon enough, and she did. As they passed Bond Street and began to near commotion, it was quite easy to guess that they were going to Burlington Arcade. That told her two things; one, they would be shopping for jewelleries, and two, she would not be needing her parasol.
They soon arrived, and they all came down from their respective carriages. She could not believe they were shopping for jewelleries when they already had enough to last them till at the very least, the end of the year, without repeat. As if reading her thoughts, Victoria spoke as they started for the shops which she patronised the most whenever they were in London.
“Indeed, we all have sufficient jewelleries, but I fear they may not be properly suited for a royal wedding.”
Eleanor was laughing before she could stop herself. Her mother was incredulous. A royal wedding? “Mother, we have a dukedom not a kingdom. We do not rule the whole of England, you know. We do not qualify as royals.”
“Nonsense!” came her mother’s sharp retort. “We are nobility, are we not? Then we are as good as royals. We may not be in any way related to the royal family, but we are what we are, and that is it. A man must perceive himself to be of great standing if he must be great.”
Eleanor said nothing, knowing that she would never win this argument. She knew without doubt that her mother would not agree with those thoughts if it were any person below her standing, saying so. She was only grateful that no one of implication had heard for her words could easily be interpreted as treason. The moment they stepped into the pavilion, those thoughts vanished away, her attention captured by the beautiful pieces on display in glass windows. Anyone who knew Eleanor would know that beyond books, her next love was jewellery. Not that she was one to wear so much of it, but she greatly admired it, just as she admired every piece of art.
Indeed, she had been right. This outing was a practical decision on her part. She was in high spirits already. Their entire entourage fit themselves into Hublort’s, and as soon as they stepped in, Victoria announced that they were free to feed their eyes and make their choices. Not needing any more permission, she wandered off, stopping to stare for long at any jewel that caught her attention. She continued to do so, oblivious of the fact that she was going far away from her crowd. As she took her third turn, she came face to face with a bracelet that stole her breath away.
She leaned in to take a closer look. It looked like it had been made with a gold band, but studded around it were pear-cut amethyst. It was so beautiful that it glittered in the light. Instantly, she was charmed. There was just something about the piece that drew her in. Until now, she had been content with feeding her eyes, but that had changed. She wanted to own this piece. Unconscious of her movement, she moved her hand to her wrist, and as she circled it, she began to imagine what it would look like on her bare wrist. The more she looked at the jewellery, the more she wanted it, and shortly, she made her decision to get it. As she righted herself on her feet, a voice sounded behind her, giving her a jolt.
“It’s a beautiful piece indeed.”
Her hand immediately flew to her heart which had threatened to fall off its position in her chest. Not that she had been scared, she had simply been startled. She had not known she had company, had felt no one behind her. Yet, that voice had sounded so close, and so familiar. Slowly, she turned around, and as her suspicions became confirmed, her eyes widened in panic, and she immediately began to sought escape exits.
The man smiled but kept his eyes on the jewel behind her. “It’s simplicity in its finest form. Elegant, exquisite, charming. It had caught my eyes too.”
What was he doing here? Was he stalking her? She almost slapped herself as that thought crossed her mind. His fiancée was here, of course, he was meeting her. This rendezvous might have been agreed upon without her knowledge. Why would she think he had been stalking her? What reason did he have to, after making his choice clear? Quite noble of him to have kissed her like that and propose to her sister, making her feel like a fool. And had he not wanted her to read books about pirates? Like he was any better. As these memories came back, anger did with them, and she chided herself for even thinking about running. How long would she continue to do that? If anyone had to run, it was him. Yet, here he was, trying to make small talk. Steeling her spine, she finally spoke.
“You could purchase it for the Duchess. I will have to advise against getting it for your fiancée for I am afraid she does not fancy amethysts.” She looked at him but avoided his gaze. She still could not trust herself to look into those eyes. Best that she did not, lest she lost her resolve again.
“Strange isn’t it? That neither of them came to mind as I happened upon it. The moment I laid my eyes upon its charm, only one person instantly came to mind. How much of a coincidence is it that my mind was right, seeing as she too has taken a liking to it.”
Eleanor drew in a sharp breath, and made a silly mistake before she could stop herself. She held his eyes and became frozen by the sincerity in them. Her breath seized as she suddenly began to feel warmer than she had been. How could this be? How did he always manage to do this to her?
“You shouldn’t say those words to me, My Lord. You are to be married to my sister. You chose her. Even after kissing me with no permission and no apologies.” She kept her voice as low as she could, aware that anyone may happen upon them, and these were words that should never be heard by another soul. His head dropped, and when he raised it, he looked torn, remorseful, and her heart almost went out to him. However, she caught herself just in time, this time around. He was always sincere, wasn’t he? His eyes said one thing, and his actions and words said another. She was done being a fool.
“You have every right to be cross with me, Eleanor, but believe me when I tell you that I am awfully sorry. My hands are tied. If I had a say in this matter, things would be the other way around; you must believe this.” He made a move to step closer to her, but she stopped him with a hand in the air.
“Stop. Do not come any closer. It matters not if you are sorry or if things could be different. They are not; this is what we have and what we must live with. You are promised to my sister. Whatever we shared must be forgotten, please, I beg of you. This is inappropriate and would lead to a scandal if discovered. I pray thee, from now onwards, stay away from me. I do not want to be with you alone. Ever.” As she finished, she congratulated herself for managing to keep her voice firm.
This time around, she walked away with her head held high. She easily found her family, and a short while later, Nicholas joined them. Apparently, his presence was only a mere coincidence, and no rendezvous had been previously planned. Still, it did not stop her from feeling out of sorts. She had lived a good life. She could not help wondering why someone had it out for her, for that was what it was. If not, why was it that every time she felt that her injury was finally beginning to close up, she had to run into him and return to the beginning? It was certainly unfair, and she feared she would lose her mind, for she knew, there was only a little more she could take.
Chapter 22
Nicholas knew he was breaching every unspoken rule in the book that no one had to write. It did not have to be announced that one did not go after the sister of his intended. It did not have to be shouted, that one did not entertain immoral thoughts about said sister. These were unspoken rules that no one in his sane mind dared break, yet, Nicholas had broken both rules, and then some more. He was insane; he wouldn’t argue with that. It was a fact, a proven one for that matter. If not, why else would he be hanging outside on this chilly evening, with his arse in the air for anyone to see, as he climbed up the window to Eleanor’s room?
He would lie that he had not given this a proper thought, but it would be just that – a lie, for he had given it deep, long, hard thoughts, and yet, he had decided to do it anyway. Oh if Benjamin could see him at this moment – his friend would have a good laugh, and the rest of his life would be too short a time to live it down. Yet, he cared very little about that. Ever since that day she bumped into him, that day when he had come to offer his proposal, getting over the betrayed look in her eyes had been an impossible feat. Not a half hour had passed since then that he had not thought of her. Not a single night’s sleep had been successful without those eyes haunting him. He was inclined to believe that Benjamin had been right, and they indeed had witch blood, for only a spell could explain this madness. But if that was so, how come Agnes did not bewitch him like she did?
He wished greatly that things were not this way, that his father did not require this from him. Still, it was what it was, and no matter how hard he thought, he could not fathom a way out of this. He had finally resolved to get over the youngest Birmingham, and just when he began that process, he had to run into her. Beholding those violet orbs was all he had needed to become weakened at the knee. He had been able to think of nothing else but her since that meeting, and now here he was, trying to sneak up upon her in the dead of the night. Indeed, he had lost command of his senses. He finally reached the window pane and gave a sigh of relief. He was especially glad that she had left the windows open, no doubt for the night air. Her room stayed lit, so he was certain she was reading a book. He knew he had the right window, for the last time he had been here, as he walked with Agnes in the garden, he felt a pair of eyes on his back. When he looked, he saw no one, but he had known without a doubt who had been watching him.
He held on firmly to the windowsill, and using it as leverage, pulled himself up. His upper form immediately went in through the window. The sweat that had furrowed at his brow dropped as his limbs felt heavier from exhaustion, and he felt he couldn’t move further. But he had come so far, there was no sense in stopping now. Calling on the last of his strength, he pulled one last time and sent his whole body flying through the window into her chamber. He fell with a thud and thought he heard a bone crack. His body hurt all over, and he groaned, having been a while since he partook in such strenuous exercise. He laid there, catching his breath, hoping that she had been too engrossed in whatever book she was reading to hear that.
As the seconds passed by, his panting began to cease and soon, his breathing normalised. That was when he decided to get on his feet and seek her out. He eventually opened his eyes to rise on his feet, and that was when he noticed a figure hovering over him with a candlestick in one hand and a gas lamp in the other hand. Before he could say anything, he felt the candle stick land painfully against his temple.
